The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Newer Topic | Older Topic

How much has the clarinet evolved over the past decades?

Author: Annika
Date: 2013-04-05 16:11

We all know that companies tend to market their new models as "revolutionary inventions," "unprecidented perfection" or the like, and we all know (in theory at least) to generally take those claims with a huge grain of salt. On the other hand there is no denying that certain products have evolved immensly over time. Someone arguing that his computer from 1980 is just as good as a modern one would be deemed eccentric at best. But this is a clarinet forum, so let's talk clarinets! It's not uncommon to see players here praise their instruments from maybe the 50's to 80's, attesting that they have yet to find a modern instrument able to surpass it.

So, could someone please enlighten me what real, objective differences are to be expected between a well-kept and serviced professional clarinet some decades old and one that just left the factory today or maybe a few years ago? When would you consider it rational to let one's old horn retire or find a new home in order to replace it with a newer instrument? (I realize that there is no single answer to fit all, but am interested in your opinions.)

My own situation is that I am – and intend to remain – an amateur player. I play a LeBlanc L200 from 1978, at the time the top-of-the-line offer from that company. Its first owner was my childhood clarinet teacher who sold it to me in the mid-80's for a very reasonable price during my second year as his student when he himself was upgrading to a new instrument. (I had been playing my father's old, less-than-good student instrument up until then, and my teacher was absolutely right that it was time for me to get something better.) I asked him why he was changing instruments and he explained that as a teacher he was entitled to a substantial contribution towards a new instrument for work every seven years or so, and taking into account the money he got from selling the old clarinet, the cost for himself to upgrade would be rather modest. He also explained that the requirements which he as a full time professional had on instruments were understandably much higher than those of amateurs and young students. I don't recall exactly any more what he considered inferior on the L200 compared to the instrument he replaced it with. He may have mentioned minor differences in both tone and intonation, but he still thought it was a very fine instrument. I don't think the ergonomics were an issue, and I'm unsure if the new instrument had any extra key or other new feature but it's not impossible. (He got himself a Buffet, but I fail to remember what model it was. I was just a kid back then and knew nothing about different clarinet models.)

Fast forward a couple of decades. I had been on an extended hiatus from the clarinet after high school and just decided to return to the instrument after more than fifteen years of almost no playing at all. I started practice a lot and took private weekly lessons during one semester or two to get back on track. I also joined a community orchestra shortly after having started with the lessons. The private teacher really liked my playing, but considering that all his other students were children or adult beginners I didn't think that said a lot. It was also appearant that he thought I should get a new and better clarinet, but he failed to give me any clear arguments on how that would be beneficial to my playing or what was wrong ith the one I already had. He himself had just bought a brand new Buffet RC Prestige with which he was clearly enamoured. I honestly personally never cared much for the tone of his instrument, but of course kept that opinion to myself (until now.) He was obviously more than happy with his instument, and that's what mattered. I also got the impression that he didn't hold much regard for any other brands such as Le Blanc and Selmer. Perhaps we just had diffrent concepts of the desireable clarinet sound?

Anyway, I'm still playing the same horn, having only changed mouthpieces. I like it quite a lot, and have over the years grown used to its quirks. I haven't thought a lot about that unsolicited advice from my teacher a few years back to replace it, but I can't help sometimes wondering if he had a valid point and if a new clarinet would make such a considerable improvement on the music that it could justify the cost. I have noticed (both before and after the hiatus) that the inherent intonation of my clarinet is a bit different from the average fellow clarinet in the bands I have played with. Mine tend to be somewhat better in the whole chalemeu and the lower half of the clarion registers, but terribly flat on the C at the top end of the clarion, though no more than I can correct for with alternate fingerings or voicing. I do however find the altissimo difficult to play well in tune, but have no idea how much to blame the instrument versus insufficient practice. My different orchestra directors have never hinted at any need for me to upgrade the instrument, and at least the most recent director is a professional clarinet player and teacher. Right now I'm "inbetween orchestras" not playing with any other players at all, hence also practicing less often, but I hope to find a new orchestra after a planned move around next year and then once again become a more active player.

I expect to get the advice to visit a clarinet shop and try out some current models for myself, which I may very well do some day. But I would appreciate to learn more about what improvements to expect in a new clarinet, things that could not be achieved by simply having a good technician go over an old instrument.